INDIANAPOLIS -- Indiana University President Michael A. McRobbie today (Aug. 19) asked the IU Board of Trustees to approve his recommendation for an overall 3 percent raise for university faculty and staff to be effective Nov. 1.

McRobbie said he is now confident that continuing budget cuts, strong fall enrollments and funds set aside in this year's budget for university priorities allow a raise of that size.

IU President Michael McRobbie makes his recommendation for an overall 3 percent raise for university faculty and staff to the IU Board of Trustees Finance and Audit Committee.

"I have concluded that a modest salary increase at this time is appropriate, affordable and strategically important for Indiana University," McRobbie told trustees. "I come to you with this recommendation in the sincere belief that our faculty and staff have performed remarkably over the past year."

The recommendation was presented to the board's Finance and Audit Committee, which voted to recommend approval by the full nine-member board of trustees during its regularly scheduled business meeting tomorrow (Aug. 20) at the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis campus.

McRobbie pointed out that although they did not receive a salary increase in the 2009-10 fiscal year, IU faculty and staff nonetheless contributed to record-breaking progress in nearly every major area of importance, including numbers of faculty awards for excellence, enrollment levels at almost every campus, attracting a record $603 million in research grants and awards, and achieving $343 million in private-sector fund-raising during an economic recession.

"We have achieved all of this, along with significant reductions in administrative overhead and personnel, at a time of great economic challenge thanks to the efforts of outstanding faculty and staff on every campus," McRobbie said.

Overall last year, the IU workforce declined by 225 employees and enrollment climbed by 6,000 students.

McRobbie froze salaries for IU's 17,000 employees during the 2009-10 fiscal year in response to cuts in state support and uncertainty as to how deeply the recession would impact IU.

McRobbie said an overall 3 percent raise this year would enable IU to remain competitive with its Big Ten peers, placing IU in the middle with regard to salary increases in the current biennium: above Wisconsin, Michigan State, Minnesota and Purdue, but below Michigan, Ohio State, Penn State, Iowa and Northwestern.

"For many of our employees, we will not be able to be as generous as I would like, or as they deserve, but under this plan we will be able to make significant progress in compensating IU faculty and staff at competitive levels," McRobbie said. "These raises are an investment in the university's most important resource: its people; and they are also an investment in the future of Indiana University."